Revell 1/32 Snap-Tite Ford AeroMax

The Ford AeroMax L9000 was one of the most aerodynamic trucks on the market upon its introduction in 1988. The AeroMax was quite popular with both fleets and owner-operators and it was built in Ford's Kentucky Plant near Louisville. Ford built the AeroMax for about 8 years, until they sold their heavy truck business to Freightliner in 1996. Freightliner continued production of the AeroMax under the Sterling brand until ending production of the latter nameplate in 2009.

The Model

The kit consists of 54 injection molded parts. 12 of these are white, 17 are black, 24 are chrome plated, and there's a single clear piece, the windshield. There is no flash on any of the parts. The cab and sleeper are a single, well detailed piece. The windshield wipers are part of this piece, which is no surprise in a snap together kit. The hood latches are integrally molded as well, and there is very fine "AeroMax" script on either side of the hood.

The cab roof and air dam are another single piece, and the rear cab wall is too. The front bumper (which includes a pair of fog lights) and side skirts are nicely done. Depending on how far you want to take a snap-together kit, you might opt to use your punch set to make the fuel tank caps, because the kit's detail is rudimentary.

Repeat after me, "It's a snap kit..." The chassis is a long molding with a lower engine and transmission molded into it. Some careful detail painting, along with a hose or two, would go a long way towards adding some useful detail. The interior detail is sparse. The instrument panel is blank and you apply an instrument panel sticker to it. That's okay if you want a gray interior because the panel face is gray. But to be fair, if you go with gray you might not notice the absence of detail. The only other interior pieces to add are the shifter and steering wheel.

The chrome pieces include the wheels, one-piece grill and headlights, roof marker lights, horns, mirrors and CB antennae, cab grab handles, and the exhaust stacks. The chrome is pretty good. The pieces molded in black include the mud flaps, front and rear suspension, and the "Union" radial tires.

The sticker sheet includes side stripes for the hood and cab, "A-Z Transport" logo stickers for the sleeper, "Ford" logos for the mudflaps, front and rear license plates, and operating authority data for the lower sides of the sleeper.

Conclusion

I like this kit. It's a good depiction of the last heavy truck produced by Ford. The level of detail is acceptable for both the price and the intended audience, and the kit lends itself to adding realistic touches such as air and brake lines, fuel tank crossover lines, etc. And Revell also produces 40 ft reefer and tanker trailers that will complement this kit quite nicely. I recommend this kit and I would like to thank Revell for providing the review sample.